Repetition
by Nicolas Crossworth
Summary: In the heat of the summer all was well and peaceful. Boredom is a powerful thing and being too lax may lead to dire consequences. Yet despite the skies darkening, the light slowly flickering, seeing humanity push forward is what makes them interesting. So make a wish... And push forward...


**Disclaimer: I do not own Neptunia or any other source materials. I do own the plot and story.**

**CAUTION: Yuri ahead. If you don't like dark stuff then it's your final chance to turn back. But you'll miss out on a very good story that way.**

* * *

Brilliant green eyes opened to the clear blue skies above. The air was filled with idle chatter along with the laugh of children as they played around somewhere nearby. The rustling of the trees could be heard in synch with the footsteps of the people. The sun cast down a warm light that seemed to invigorate the earth beneath it. It was such a peaceful day.

Sitting up, a girl with lush brown hair pulled up her blue jacket before rubbing the last traces of sleep from her eyes. Seemed like her break time was over. She glanced by the stone tower in the middle of the fountain to her right to look at the time. It was well past lunch and fifteen minutes after her supposed meeting time with her friend. Compa was late and the warmth from the sun was caused the brown haired girl to let out a yawn. It was days like these that made doing quests bothersome.

Watching the people walk by, the girl leaned back and relaxed. The air was so refreshing, good thing that Neptune and Nepgear were busy with their duties. Having to go with them would be easier to complete the quest but at the same time it would take much longer because of the elder sister's personality. All they had to do was take down a boss monster anyway, with the things she and her friends have fought in the past, this should be easy.

Twenty five minutes…

"Compa… What's taking you so long?" mumbled IF as she placed her head on her palm. She used her free hand to fish a pink cellphone out of her pocket and glance at it. She read the last message she had received from her friend which was over two hours ago in which they accepted the request together. They both agreed that they'll meet by the park after eat lunch yet it's already been thirty minutes passed. With a sigh, she put away her phone and resumed her observation on the people.

She was ready to wait for another five minutes before storming off the quest alone when a pair of hands suddenly covered her eyes. She could hear the sound of suppressed giggling behind her. Just from the voice and the scent around, IF could easily recognize the one behind her.

Cracking a small smile she then said, "You're late. What took you so long?"

"Ehehe," giggled the light cream haired girl, "How'd you guess?"

"It shouldn't be that hard knowing that's it you," replied IF in turn, "You have the presence of a Grandogoo."

"I guess I need to practice some more," said Compa with an awkward smile, lightly tapping her own head. Placing a hand on her hip, she then went down to business, "Well? Are you ready to go? We're probably running late so it'll be better if we chop chop!"

Rising from the bench that she sat on, the brown haired girl grabbed the nurse by her cheek while saying, "Hey, hey, hey… It's not my fault that we're late. Besides who's the one that just showed up, huh?"

"Waaah~! I'm sorry!" cried Compa as she flailed her arms, "P-Please let me go! It hurts, Iffy~!"

Her false smile still in its place, IF forced herself to have some control as an anger vein popped up on her forehead, "Next time, no more detours, okay? Or else I'll leave without you. Got it?"

"O-O-Okay! I promise!" squeaked the nurse as she was released from the Guild member's pinch. Rubbing her sore cheek, she gazed helplessly at her friend while uttering a sigh. She watched her friend turn around with a smile and gestured her to follow. Compa happily followed.

The two girls chatted idly as they made their way out of the park and into the busy streets of Planeptune. As usual, the light foot traffic on the sidewalks made navigating through the city much easier. It's been already a year past ever since the ASIC incident and the entire nation was finally getting back to its feet. With remnants of the of the former crime syndicate falling down like flies, peace would surely be attained in the future. Of course this would follow the restoration of the Goddess power and prosperity around the world.

The peaceful days after the tragic events that had transpired four years ago were finally here. It seemed like all of that sacrifice and hard work finally bore fruit. Everyone could finally sleep in their beds in peace. IF glanced around and saw that everything was all good. The walk through the city was so far an uneventful one. Compa would strike a conversation while IF would reply in appropriately. They talked about mundane things for most of the trip yet, to the Guild member, it was worth her time.

Spending the day like these for the past month has been luxury. Not only could she be with her friends but she could keep herself in shape at the same time. Somehow all that waiting the nurse made her do made her hungry. Having to eat now while on the job would be embarrassing… Not that her stomach growling helped.

"Iffy~ I made snacks!" the nurse took out a paper bag and displayed to for her friend to see, "I knew you'd be hungry so I made a few cookies before coming."

Glancing at her side, the Guild member uttered a defeated sigh before taking the bag from the other girl, "Thanks, you really didn't need to."

"Well, going on a quest on an empty stomach would be bad, right? It's not healthy for the body!" Compa said while watching her friend take a bite. IF noted that the cookies were well made and were pretty crunchy. She gave the nurse the thumbs up much to the other girl's delight.

"Not bad," commented the brown haired girl looking impressed, "You should make these more often. It'll probably sell."

"Really?" the nurse was caught by surprise by that remark, causing a light blush to appear on her cheeks, "I guess I'll make some more for everyone when we get back. Wouldn't that be great?"

"Meh, I hear ya," replied IF as she munched on another cookie, "say, is this why you were late? Making cookies at the last minute?"

"Oh, of course not," Compa gave her partner a smile at that, "You see, there's a rumor of a wish granter walking around the city. Everyone's been out to look for him to have their greatest wishes come true. Those who encounter him says he's a really great man and made a lot of people happy. I want my own wish granted! Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

The Guild member glanced up at the sky. A mysterious wish granter that's capable of doing charity, huh? Sounds fishy, but the idea of having a wish granted would be nice. Then again, there's nothing else she would like to ask for. Everything she wanted, everything she needed was already hers. Maybe renovating her room would be a good idea and add a few things just to brag about it. Or maybe some cool new weapons to make quests and monster hunting easier.

Better yet, she could wish for a lot of credits into her bank account. The amount of crepes she could buy just from that. But then again she was way over her head. It would be extremely lucky for her though if she had her wish granted. However if she did wish for anything, it'll probably for something important.

"Yeah," agreed IF with a smirk, "Would be wonderful. Nep would probably wish for something stupid like food or games. A hundred credits says she wishes the sky to rain pudding and food."

Compa giggled at the thought, "Well, that's Nep-Nep for you—Ah!"

Stopping at mid-sentence, IF glanced to her side to see what's wrong, only to find out that her friend managed to bump into someone. From the neck down the person had a normal human body dressed in a black tail coat and formal pants as well as polished shoes. A black bow tie decorated his throat. His head however… was concealed by some kind of mascot mask with the appearance of a rabbit enveloping his head. She dismissed him as one of those people who were eccentric in their style in fashion, though she had to admit, the person's appearance as unsettling.

As creepy as he looked, the strange person's voice was akin to a pleasant young man as he apologized. Giving the nurse he had bumped into an apologetic bow, "Forgive me, miss. I seemed to be preoccupied and wasn't looking where I was going. I hope you understand."

"Oh, uhh… It's nothing really. Everything's okay," Compa replied nervously. She then had a look of curiosity on her face as she gazed at the young man's mask, "Um… that's not your real head is it?"

"This?" said the masked boy while pointing a gloved hand at his own head. He seemed amused since a chuckle could be heard from within the mask, "No, miss. This is just a mask, nothing special about it. Handmade, one of my finest works if I do say so myself."

"Hey Compa, what's wrong? We gotta go!" called IF while waving a hand in the air, "The quest has a time limit, you know?"

"Ah, coming!" the nurse yelled back before turning to the masked boy, "Um, I'm sorry for hitting you. I'll be going now, take care!"

She then gave the masked boy a nod before running of to where her friend was. Feeling a cold chill at the back of her neck, she suddenly turned around by impulse. What was a person with a strange appearance was now an empty space… as if no one stood there in the first place.

* * *

_**BANG**_

_**SLASH**_

_**BOOM!**_

"Compa, cover me!" barked IF as she dashed below the boss monster's large arms. Cursing under her breath, she quickly dived to her right to avoid getting crushed by the beast. Flashing her claw blades, she made her counterattack by landing three consecutive slashes on the monster's arm. She was caught by surprise on how it pulled its offending arm back before swinging it again. IF would've been hit if it hadn't been for the timely bullet that lodged itself on the monster's eye.

"Could you please be faster!" she yelled while putting some distance between her and the beast.

"Sorry, I was reloading!" came her comrade's nervous reply. Compa knelt on the ground as she reloaded her syringe with ammunition once more, bringing it up once she was done and unleashing a fire bullet as the boss monster approached her. It screamed as it came in contact with its elemental weakness, giving the Guild member the chance to attack its vulnerable belly, jumping back with a scream as she saw how it grew a mouth and teeth.

The mission the two were entrusted with was to hunt down what seemed to be a brand new type of monster before it spawns more children in a cave. With its formidable appearance and exceptional strength it would give even the most veteran fighters a hard time. The guild request stated for pieces of its remain should be collected for further analysis so it would give Planeptune and the surrounding nations an edge should another species of dangerous monsters sprout out of nowhere.

Since the lack of Guild members willing to take on a triple S quest, the nurse and the Guild agent were the only on up to the task. It would've been much easier if they brought a Goddess with them since the monster was proving too much to handle. It stood about fifteen feet in height, its crystal studded skin made it heavily armored and tricky to injure save for a few places. The beast had a humanoid form yet it's arms were completely metal and had the appearance of serrated wings.

During the course of the fight, IF quickly discovered its soft belly and unarmored head. Convenient weaknesses good enough for her to slash and for her comrade to snipe. The only problem now was that aside from the fact that this monster was huge, it could also move very fast. Making it stay still while avoiding those dangerous arms was difficult enough for the Guild member to do; at this rate Compa won't be able to shoot her mark that much with that thing's speed.

And now the brown haired girl was faced with the problem with the monster's stomach sprouting a mouth and teeth. She just loved her job.

IF ducked on dived in a roll to avoid the monster's arms, attempting to keep up with it's ludicrous movements. Compa scored another headshot yet it didn't seem to do much since she only managed to hit the back of its head. As the beast thrust its blade like arm on the ground, the Guild member used it as a platform to jump towards its head, unleashing two vicious strikes on its unprotected face.

She then screamed over its pained howling, "Compa! Heavy rounds!"

"Yes!" responded the nurse as she switched ammo and took aim. With a roar that would've been like cannon shot, a purple bullet left the nurse's syringe and flew straight for the beast's head. It staggered as it tried to regain its balance. The Guild member moved in for the kill, but was pushed back as the boss monster spun around and pushed her back. Another lethal bullet hit its shoulder, enraging the beast as it unleashed an ear splitting shriek.

When IF opened her eyes, she watched in horror as the beast was just in front of her in the middle of a spin. She half expected to be cut when luck decided to grant her a chance by making the flat of the beast's blade arm hit her, sending her tumbling across the floor. The downside was she could barely keep herself conscious, after being hit that hard it was a miracle that she wasn't knocked out cold. She gritted her teeth at her inability to move her legs, preventing her from coming to her friend's aid.

She watched as Compa fired off a couple of bullets at the beast just to get its attention. Diving in a roll, she avoided the beast's horizontal slash and quickly took advantage of its blind spot by firing a fire bullet before thrusting her syringe into what seemed to be the monster's buttocks. Aiming to deal more damage, she pumped the monster full of fire bullets as she switched her syringe into burst mode, causing her opponent to scream in agony.

Having had enough of its torment, the monster pushed her away as it turned around, forcing her on the ground. It raised its bladed arm and brought it down, forcing the nurse to use her weapon as a shield, resulting to its destruction leaving her weaponless.

"Iffy!" she cried while covering her head with her arms.

"Don't look!" snapped IF's voice followed by a loud bang as her ears rang in deafness for a moment. The next thing the nurse knew was that she was being carried over her friend's shoulders. Once they had managed to get to a safe distance, the brown haired girl put her comrade down as she caught her breath, "I think we bit off more than we can chew… Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. But Iffy, you don't look so good! Don't worry, I'll patch you up," said Compa as she retrieved a spare reflex bottle from her disc and gave it to the Guild member, "Feeling better? I think it'll be better if we went away for now."

"Darn, if any of the CPUs were here then—"

_**SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

The two girls gazed back into the dark void in whence they came from before gulping loudly. Without any more words, they both held each other and made a run for it. Just behind them the thrashing figure of the boss monster came into view, it's shrieking filled with pain and bloodlust.

"Crap! It's hitting the walls! At this rate the cave will collapse!" yelled IF as she ran with all her might.

"Iffy! I don't think I can run anymore!" huffed Compa, her face showing visible strain from exertion. She was never cut out for rough physical activities, hence her low stamina.

"Just a little bit more, we're almost there!" urged the Guild member as she tugged her friend along. However that was when a minor tremor passed beneath their feet, making IF trip on her feet and fall forward. In a split second the world seemed to have slowed down. From a distance, she could see rocks and pieces of the ceiling blocking off the exit, barring their escape. Above her, it seemed that there were a few stones ready to fall on top of her and crush her.

A lump seemed to be stuck in her throat as her heartbeat pounded on her ears. This cold iron grip constricting her windpipe, it was fear. It was about to be over in a moment.

"No…." She whispered as everything faded to black.

…..

….

…

When IF came to, everything was quiet. It was dark save for the luminescent glow that came from the purple and blue crystals around. It seemed like the worst was over as she gazed at the group of stones blocking her way. She then raised her hands in front of her. They were trembling. That was close, too close for her comfort. She couldn't believe that she survived that. That cold thing wrapping around her throat like that, it was fear.

She looked behind her to see that it was caved in from there too. She could make out the crushed remains of the monster that chased her and her partner. Looks like there was no going out there. Her head was throbbing from getting hit by something, same thing with her back. The ground was never the most comfortable bed she slept on.

Looking around, she started to smell something… off.

The Guild member swallowed hard as the metallic scent invaded her nose, it was overpowering that it almost choked her. She took a step backward and heard a splash echo around the cavern. Her heartbeat began to grow louder again. It's been awhile yet she was the only one here. Wasn't there someone with her just now? She turned her gaze at the pool of liquid at her feet and dipped a finger in it. Casting the light of one of the few crystals, she felt her butterflies fluttering within her stomach as she recognized it.

It was red…. Blood.

She followed the trail from where it was coming from and immediately went there. Kneeling down before the stones blocking the cavern's path, she used her trembling hands to lift the stones up and move them. As the feeling of dread filled up her heart she desperately increased her efforts. Whatever that sickening thought she had at the back of her mind, she put all of her willpower to push it away. Because it couldn't be true. There was no way it could happen.

Her arms were now trembling with every large stone she tossed. The strain of coming in contact with the rough surface of the rocks was slowly injuring her hands and fingers. Suddenly her body felt as heavy as lead from exhaustion. Time seemed to fly as she dug deeper and deeper. With every stone she took, the more and more she noticed the dried liquid on them. Fear gnawed on her while working, she prayed to every single CPU that she was wrong.

Breathing hard and her knees dipped in red liquid not her own, IF finally moved the stone that covered the source of it. Something within her broke, causing her to grit her teeth and punch the ground. Hot tears left her brilliant green eyes as it mixed with the blood that snaked its way through the floor. Lying with half of her body covered with debris of the ceiling was the Guild member's child hood friend… It was Compa.

The girl felt anger swell within her as she screamed in frustration, "DAMN IT!"

She wasn't angry at her friend for dying. She wasn't angry at the monster that had caused the collapse. She was angry at herself. IF wanted nothing more than to punch herself in the face, it was stupid idea bringing the nurse along. They were up against a high leveled monster yet they took the quest anyway, how could she be so stupid? No… She couldn't be dead. That was impossible. She and Compa had been through a lot of obstacle and overcame them together. Even when things were bleak they always pulled through. This sort of thing it was nothing compared to those…

Yet as the Guild member cradle her best friend's hand, looking at her peaceful face made it look like as if she was asleep. All of that blood, she must be hurt.

"She… must be hurt…" whispered IF as she sobbed quietly, "Hey Compa… this isn't funny… wake up."

Her friend didn't awaken.

"We gotta go… Neptune and everyone will get worried."

Still no response.

"Compa…"

This day was obviously a disaster. People rarely get killed in action when on a quest. It was probably their fault too for being too lax, not caring if their situation was life threatening or not. Maybe she did rely on the CPUs and Candidates when fighting. She didn't even have enough power to save her friend. It was really pathetic.

Wiping her tears, she took out her cellphone from her pocket only to grab its remains. It was probably crushed what with the Guild member being tossed about like a rag doll. There was no way to contact anyone for help. She was alone in this stupid cave, covered in her friend's blood not knowing what to do. She still couldn't wrap her head around it. It must be all a dream. When she got thrown away by that monster, she was knocked out and everything was just a dream. It couldn't be real…

With her tears flowing down her cheeks once more, in a weak voice she whispered, "It's just a dream…"

"No, everything is quite real," replied a new voice. IF instinctively turned her attention at the darkness before her and watched as a figure of a person came in to view. It looked familiar what with the formal attire the person wore. And… the rabbit mask.

_This person was the one Compa bumped into earlier…_ thought the Guild member yet it seemed like his surreal appearance didn't help with her denying that this was just a dream.

"Oh dear, it seemed like things got a little bit messy," said the masked man while tilting his head, "Quite the misfortune you've gotten yourself into, aye?"

IF didn't get what this person wanted or needed. All she wanted was to wake up from this nightmare and see her friend alive and well again. A tap and she looked up, only to come in face to face with the masked person. She couldn't see his eyes so she could only stare at the ornamental red ones the rabbit mask had. Her body felt too heavy to try and do anything, she didn't even react as he lifted her chin up with his gloved hand.

"Who are you?" she asked in a weak tone.

"I'm known by many names, but my peers call me Rabbit Head for obvious reasons," replied the masked person before moving away. The girl didn't even know how he managed to move from the other side of the cave in to her front. Giving her a gentlemanly bow as he finished his introduction, he then began speaking, "What seems to be troubling you, miss?"

"Help me…" answered IF, giving the person before her a tearful gaze, "Help me… I want Compa to live… "

"But she's gone, that's the current reality that you have," countered Rabbit Head while crossing his arms.

"I don't care… This isn't real…"

"But it is…"

"I DON'T CARE, I JUST WANT HER BACK!"

"Are you sure..?"

The Guild member opened her eyes to look at the masked person. He just stood there, watching, probably waiting for her answer. His words… The question he just uttered, somehow it pierced through the haze of thoughts she had within her mind. Why… why was he speaking as if he could… do anything?

"Tell me, is that what you really wish for?" he rephrased his question, IF could almost imagine his true face smiling within that mask.

_I don't know_… "Yes."

"Are really sure?" said Rabbit Head.

_Make it stop… _"Yes!"

"One last time, are you really, really sure?'

_I'm ready… _"YES!"

IF felt her vision darkening while beginning to feel light headed. She managed to catch a glimpse of Rabbit Head taking off his mask, yet as her vision slowly became blurry, the only thing she saw was his smile before everything faded into black.

She could've sworn she heard laughing.

* * *

Brilliant green eyes opened to the clear blue skies above. The air was filled with idle chatter along with the laugh of children as they played around somewhere nearby. The rustling of the trees could be heard in synch with the footsteps of the people. The sun cast down a warm light that seemed to invigorate the earth beneath it. It was such a peaceful day.

IF got up and rubbed her throbbing head. It felt like she just ran a mile without stopping, as if she was being chased by a large monster. She didn't know why but she just felt tired. She looked up at the sky and silently thought to herself. That was one horrible nightmare. It was dark, cold, and she felt helpless. Yet why can she remember it so vividly? Just thinking about it gave her the shivers. Crossing her arms and thinking about it, maybe it would be better to call of this quest. She wouldn't want anything bad happen even if it was just a dream. So she took out her cellphone and glanced at the clock.

Twenty five minutes…

A headache attacked the girl's head as if someone just hit her with a metal pipe. She had to cancel the quest. Flicking through her contacts, she eventually found the right number and proceeded to cancel the quest by mail. With that she closed her pink phone and pocketed it, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. That dream was crazy and it was insane enough to actually cancel a guild request. It was just a dream so why… did it feel so real?

An image of Compa's cold hands and blood on her clothes almost made her puke. Fortunately for her she managed to stop herself. She would never let something like that happen and tried to convince herself that it was all just a bad nightmare. Maybe this was just the aftereffects of working too much. A vacation or a relaxation once in a while would be good. Maybe she could even invited Neptune and the others for a beach outing.

She then felt a presence behind her and immediately jumped forward, standing on top of the bench she sat on in a blink of an eye with her claw blades extended.

"Kyah!" cried a girl's voice moments before IF stopped herself from slicing her. It was Compa, alive and well, sitting on the ground with a paper bag at her side, "I-I-I'm sorry Iffy! I was just going to play a joke and—"

Her words were cut off as the Guild member dropped her blades and gave the nurse a bone crushing hug, "You're okay! Thank the Goddesses, you're okay!"

"I-Iffy? W-What's the matter? Ah! You're crying!" yelped the nurse as her friend buried her face on her clothes. She didn't quite understand why the usually dead pan snarker suddenly broke down to tears and was hugging her like no tomorrow. Nevertheless she cast aside those thoughts and returned the hug, "D-Did something happen?"

Realizing what she was doing, IF quickly moved away from the nurse and wiped her eyes. Strange how she seemed to have the urge to hug her subconsciously, "It's nothing… Just a bad morning, I guess…"

"Oh…" Compa had a thoughtful look on her face before saying, "You seemed fine earlier though. Are you feeling unwell?"

"Yeah. I just thought… that maybe going on this quest would be a bad idea in my condition so I cancelled it," replied the brunette with a smile.

"That's good," praised the nurse, "In the meantime, why don't we go look around? Maybe play some games too. It'll be fun!"

"Right, let's go," agreed IF as she and her friend walked to the park's exit. As they strolled, the nurse offered her the paper bag to which she wittily guess that its contents were cookies. Compa seemed surprised to now that the brunette somehow guessed her heavily guarded secret cookies. To the Guild member however this revelation shocked her. The cookies… they were the same snacks the Compa in her dream offered her... Then that would mean that if they did go on that quest, she would've died.

What could it mean? Why are things exactly the same? Why does it feel like… that everything has happened before?

IF could feel her heart beat pounding on her ears. The noise blocked out of hearing. The heat from the sun was getting to her head as a droplet of sweat fell from her brow. Her mind was filled with confusion as images of the dead Compa filled her mind. It was the heat; it was making her see things again.

Suddenly, she felt a violent shove from behind, pushing her forward. She quickly looked around to snarl at the perpetrator, "Hey what's the big… idea..?"

At a split second she found herself on a pedestrian crossing, staring at her friend who had just pushed her. At the corner of her eyes she saw the 'walk' light turn into 'no-walking'.

"Iffy?"

And then a truck slammed into the nurse's body.

Flecks of blood flew right on the Guild member's cheek. Her face indifferent as her mind tried to process what just happened. It couldn't have. The truck came out of nowhere and… hit Compa… Did she just push IF away to save her? IF couldn't understand, her mind was thrown into absolute chaos. All she could do was watch as her child hood friend's body was flung to the side of the road, lying limply on the side walk. Red liquid painted the streets as well as the brunette's blue jacket.

Once she regained control of her body, the girl quickly sprinted to where her partner's body was while screaming, "No! No! No! No! NO! COMPA!"

She knelt down on her friend's side and cradled her within her arms. Why, why wouldn't anyone help? She was dying, why couldn't anyone help? People began to surround her as if she was an interesting sight, none of them really doing anything but watch as she despaired, covered in her own comrade's blood.

"Help me! Somebody help me!" she cried over and over and over and over yet no one stepped forward. Cursing the people there, she took out her cellphone and found out that it won't open. She threw it away where it broke down to pieces and decided to carry her friend to the nearest hospital.

That is until he stepped out of the crowd.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk… Not good enough. Ready for the next try?" chuckled Rabbit Head as he snapped his fingers and everything went black.

This time the laughing was louder.

* * *

IF woke up feeling sick and breathing hard. She looked around her and found herself at the same park as before. She finally understood it; the things that were happening weren't dreams. They were all real and she was now back at her starting point. She didn't get why this was happening, or why things had to be this way but everything was obviously orchestrated by that Rabbit Head. Was this because of her wish? Was this some sort of price for wanting Compa to live again?

Whatever it was, she knew she had to get away. During that last encounter, something just felt… wrong about that masked man. It was if there was a repulsive aura around him that made her want to hide in underground and never come out.

Sighing to herself to calm down her nerves, she silently thought of a plan. Taking out her phone from her pocket she glanced at the clock and saw that time.

Twenty five minutes…

The Guild member fought the urge to puke. The memories of Compa's dead bodies suddenly invaded her inner eye. She couldn't stand seeing and remembering those, just why did she just trigger herself to recall them? The more she thought about it, the more vivid her memories became. She had to stop yet it was like stopping the flood water from a bursting dam. In the end she was forced to let those memories flow and watch brief flashes of them in the span of a split second. That's putting the time technically, yet recalling the death of someone close to you felt like an eternity.

She then heard a presence behind her, standing up and turning around. It was Compa, looking alive and healthy once again holding her paper bag in what could only be filled with cookies.

"Ah, I was gonna surprise you Iffy— Eh?!" the nurse was caught off guard as the Guild member grabbed her wrist and pulled her along, "Wh-what are you doing, Iffy? Where are we going?"

"Away, far away. Somewhere we're safe," IF answered coldly, picking up speed until she and her partner were in a full run.

"But what about the quest?" asked Compa asked nervously at her friend's steely words, "Did you cancel it already?"

"Forget about the quest! I need to keep you safe!" snapped the brunette while shooting the girl behind her a glare which immediately silences her. Compa didn't know why her friend was acting this way, yet the way the Guild member held her told her that she was very afraid. Something was bothering IF and she refused to tell the nurse anything. Whatever it was the Guild member was thinking Compa had to trust her for now.

…..

….

…

The two girls arrived utterly exhausted at Planeptune's train station. There were a lot of people around since it was a holiday and were getting ready to board the train at a moment's notice. IF had just gotten them tickets for the train with Compa in tow. She still hasn't explained why she had acted like that and her friend must be very confused. Not that it would matter, she could always explain later in the train, once they get moving. Either way, she was still lost on how to go on about this. Why was this happening? She didn't get any of it at all.

"Iffy..? Is there anything wrong? Please, if there's anything troubling you I could help you, just tell me and—"

"You won't get it! You won't understand! Even if I did you won't believe me!" the Guild member snapped fiercely causing the nurse to flinch. She could see the brunette's hands trembling for some reason. Just what was going through her mind? Compa felt helpless seeing her friend like this since it never happened before.

"I'm scared Compa…" muttered IF in a fragile tone, "I don't know what to do…"

Warm and gentle arms suddenly wrapped the brunette into and embrace. The nurse's scent overpowering her managed to calm her down as Compa spoke soothing words that caressed her soul, "It's okay Iffy… You'll win whatever problem it is you're in. That's the Iffy that I know, always winning!"

"T-Thanks…" muttered the Guild member, _I hate myself…. I really, really hate myself…_

**STATIONS FOUR, THREE AND TWO PREPARE FOR BOARDING.**

**ALL PASSENGERS OF 'NEPTUNE'S LIMO' PLEASE BOARD NOW. DESTINATION: 'PLACES WITH LOTS OF SHOPS AND STUFF!'**

**HAVE A NICE TRIP, GO ME!**

**-Goddess Purple Heart**

IF stared at the sign with glazed eyes while thinking, _I knew it was a bad idea letting Neptune do what she wants._

"Let's go Compa," she ordered as she began to walk towards the train. There were a lot of people going in so she had to fight her way into the crowd just to get in. Was it always like this during the rush hour. She glanced behind her just to check if her friend was still there; luckily she was still present, grabbing the back of the Guild member's jacket. After their struggle with the crowd, they managed to get in with little problem, albeit the fact that all seats were taken.

With a sigh, the brunette leaned against the train's doors while the nurse peeked outside at the blurring landscape. Maybe if they reached someplace else at the Basilicom, they'll be safe from whatever it is happening. They could probably ask Histoire if she knew anything about this situation and for a means to counter it.

_Ready for the next try?_

IF gritted her teeth at that. This would be her final try. She'll protect Compa from anything that comes her way. No one will die this time.

"Is that so~?"

_**BOOM**_

An earth shattering explosion rattled the people on their feet. On instinct, the Guild member grabbed the nurse and pulled her close. Eliciting a yelp, Compa suddenly found herself in a death grip by her friend, "I-Iffy, you're hurting me!"

Realizing this, the brunette kicked herself mentally and said, "I'm sorry!"

The train seemed to shaking for due to the explosion earlier. Every single person has been driven to a panicked state. Red lights popped out from the ceiling as a siren blared a deafening noise. The sound of metal drew the people's attention as the windows were covered in protective sheets of metal, causing the red light above to be their only source of illumination. The train shook once more and people began to scream.

"Damn! Just what the hell is happening?!" growled the Guild member as she moved in only to be stopped by her friend, "What's wrong..?"

"Rabbit…" whimpered Compa which made the other girl's blood run cold.

She was about to speak once more when someone from the far end of the carriage yelled to everyone present… The tracks on the sky bridge were blown up. Then that would mean that the train has only a few seconds before it falls off. IF did the only thing she could do at the moment, take out her cellphone and dial Histoire's number.

Only that her phone refused to work once again and that the entire carriage became weightless for a moment. There was a crash and everything blacked out.

Warmth. That was what she felt when she woke up. Her head was throbbing and something warm was on her. Tears gathered on her eyes as they slid down on the floor. The Guild member placed one shaking arm on the person on her. She was lying on the floor with a head splitting headache that hurt so much she wanted to scream. Yet she bit her tongue as she silently mourned. Lying on top of her was her best friend, unmoving.

Compa was dead again since there wasn't any pulse. The entirety of the carriage they were in looked trashed, yet for unknown reasons, every single person had disappeared. She was alone, with her friend dead once again. There was nothing she could do.

She turned her head to the right and saw a person sitting there. It was Rabbit Head. A spark of hate and anger was set ablaze within the very core of her soul at the sight of that mask. He just sat there, watching, undoubtedly smiling behind that mask for her misery. This bastard… It was all his fault. It was all his fault!

"Three times the charm, little girl. This is just the beginning~" he chuckled as he snapped his fingers.

IF pushed her friend's corpse off of her and revealed her blades. However before she could even come near him, her vision was suddenly taken away from her.

The laughing now mocked every single part of her soul.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

She found herself at the same park once more, as if nothing had happened all the while. She hated it, she hated it all. She couldn't save Compa no matter what she did. It was all useless. No matter where she went or what she did, _that_ person would always be there to screw things up. The pain of seeing someone important dying over and over was too much that she had to let it all out in a scream. She didn't care if people looked at her weird, she didn't care about what they thought, she didn't care about anything except letting it all out.

As if screaming wasn't enough, she slammed her hand at the side of the bench in which she sat on, breaking it.

"Oh dear, what did the poor chair do to you?" asked a cool male voice before her. Raising her head, the Guild member turned her eyes on the person responsible for all of this. Without any hesitation, she lunged at him with her blades attack what seemed to be black smoke. Looking behind her, she witnessed how he materialized as he casually sat on the bench the girl was just on, "Ahh~ I did say it was only the beginning, no?"

"What do you want from me?!" IF yelled while brandishing her blades.

Rabbit Head only tilted his mask as if giving her a look of curiosity, "Those tears… It doesn't seem like you're going to give up yet."

"Why are you doing this?! Aren't you the wish granter?! All I wanted was for Compa to live! Why do this?!" sobbed the Guild member, her hands trembling on the weapons she held.

The object of her hate merely sat there before finally saying, "The higher the bird flies, the harder they fall… Just watching it fall to a painless 'splat' would be too boring, aye? So why not shoot, burn, and melt it before it hits the ground?"

"What..?"

"You win if you save her. I'm counting on you," the masked man challenged before finally disappearing, leaving the girl in shock. Her legs felt weak as she licked her dry lips. Just then, she felt a surge of terror come from that man's form. Yet despite of putting her all through this, he had given her a clue. A clue that may help her get out of whatever spell he had cast upon her.

And that was to save Compa.

Maybe that was the reason she was here in the first place. Just before she made her wish, she was alive while Compa died. Back then, she had accepted her fate yet her friend…. Her shy, gentle, sweet friend saved her and died in her place… IF gazed on the ground as her knees gave in. Was this the meaning of her wish? To revive the Compa that she knew, she had to save the one before her in exchange? Is this all just some twisted challenge set for her?

"Iffy?"

_I'm going to keep her safe._

"Iffy, are you okay?"

_Everything will be alright._

The brunette looked up to her partner and found her standing by her side with a concerned look. Judging from the nurse's widening eyes, she must've looked terrible. Her mind was a mixture of an emotional storm and empty void. Yet seeing this version of her partner calmed her, she had to save this girl.

"I'm all right," she lied, smiling warmly at her partner.

…..

….

…

"Say Iffy, why did you cancel out the quest?" asked the nurse as the gentle breeze made her hair dance around.

"I don't know. Maybe I just needed some time off, you said it yourself, right? Working too much is bad for my health?" answered the Guild member, smiling serenely as she gazed at the city below, "Your cookies were great by the way. You should put up your own stall."

Compa seemed to surprise by this and tried to hide her face as it turned light pink, "I-I-I'm not really that good. Maybe someone else could be good at cooking but I'm just a beginner."

The two girls were now high up on the Neptower, overseeing the futuristic city below them. The sky was clear and winds were calm. It was peaceful enough to even make the Guild member relax for a tiny amount. One of these days, she was going to treat the real Compa to this view. It sure was amazing.

_But until this nightmare, that'll have to wait,_ she thought to herself, out loud she said, "You shouldn't think that way, you know? Unlike Nep and the other's, life's too short. We should do the things we want before our times goes up."

"Like dying suddenly?" the nurse replied casually, causing the Guild member to suddenly look at her.

A frown appeared on IF's visage, looking away to avoid eye contact, "We may never know. K.I.A. records aren't uncommon in the Guild. Some members just have the poorest luck and die… It's a miracle that we've survived until now and how ignorant we've been at the chances of dying. I never really gave it any thought…"

"Was that why you were crying?" asked Compa in a soothing voice, "You're scared?"

"Aren't you?" countered IF with a wan smile.

"As long as I'm with you, I know that I'm safe," answered the nurse with much enthusiasm, "If you're always there to protect me, then I too will watch your back. You know why? It's because we're friends, and that's what friends are supposed to do. Am I right or wrong?"

The Guild member didn't know what to say. Before she knew it, she could feel hot tears sliding down her face. It was already too late so she just let them flow. She can't be sad now; she had to keep her safe. If she were the real Compa then she would've said the same.

"So please stop…"

_Huh?_

"I don't want you to cry anymore…."

_What are you saying?_

"Please go home. You don't have to do this anymore…"

_I need to save you…_

"I don't want to see you hurt yourself…" sniffled the nurse as she wiped her own tears with her forearm, "I'm sorry…"

"You… remember?" muttered the Guild member, her hands balled into trembling fists, "You remember all of those times?"

"I don't know how, but I do… That's why you should stop," Compa said while still managing to produce a small smile, "He's only playing with your mind. He's just waiting there for you to break, and me dying is just one of the things he has for you to break. Please, I don't want to see you cry anymore."

"You're telling me to give up on you?!" yelled IF while stomping her foot, "Like hell I will! If I give up now then that bastard won't grant my wish for real! If he wants to break me, then fine! I don't care if I break! In fact, even if I have to tear down this tower brick by brick just to save you, I'll do it! If I give up then I'll be a failure! If I give up then I'll lose you forever! I'm going to save you Compa, even if that's the last thing that I'll do I won't give up! I won't give up!"

The nurse's words died in her throat, the only thing she was able to say was, "I-Iffy…"

"That's the spirit. I like underdogs," sneered a cool male voice.

_**STAB**_

Compa stood there as stiff as a statue, her mouth hanging in shock before she collapsed on the floor, a fatal wound visible on her back. IF just stood there, her mind processing what just happened, watching as the black mass with a gloved hand holding a knife slowly grew a body and eventually a large mask.

Flicking the blood off his blade, Rabbit Head then casually spoke to the shell shocked girl before him, "Ah, sorry about that. Must be a bug in the system. Don't worry; this'll be the last time this'll happen. That would've been unfair for you, making you give up like that, aye?"

The brunette stomped towards him with a murderous aura, grabbing him by his collar and pinning him on the wall, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! WHAT…WHAT DID YOU JUST DO TO HER!?"

"Please, IF, calm down. I just killed her that's all," replied the masked man as if he had done nothing wrong. This only made the Guild member angrier, forcing her to raise her balled fist as a threat. A heart beat passed followed by another, and the girl eventually let the man go and step away. She collapsed on her rear as she ran her hands through her hair, sobbing.

"I apologize, this was clearly not what I had for the game. A bug in the system simply gathered the memories of the 'dead' Compas and jammed them into what you just spoke right now. Really, using underhanded tactics to make you give up, how rude!" said Rabbit Head as he sounded a bit miffed, " Once again, I am sorry for the inconvenience…"

"Game? You're treating this as a game when I'm close to losing my own mind!?" shouted IF in outrage, "Now you're apologizing as if you did nothing wrong?! YOU'RE INSANE!"

The accusation only caused a chuckle from the masked man, "Really now… Insane would clearly be an understatement. As you are now, how are we any different? The same rules, IF, you save this girl from me and you'll see her alive in the real world once more. Even if you look at it any other way…" he then approached the girl and crouched just in front of her, placing a gloved finger on her nose, "It's just some clichéd story…"

She couldn't move, she just sat there as her vision slowly blurred until she could no longer see. Her own heart beat pounding on her ears, her breathing became more and more labored. Until she lost her consciousness.

The laughter… She only wanted to stop the laughter.

* * *

How long has it been? It felt like she was stuck in this place for a while now. Hours? Days? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades? She didn't know anymore. No matter what she did, it was all fruitless. It frustrated her, made her angry, she wanted to throw a tantrum and rip everything apart. Yet it seemed like all of her hate and anger were expended. She tired of it all… She was torn, half of her wanted to give up while the other wanted to persist on a seemingly impossible task.

This cycle has gone on for so long that she's lost track of time. Everything led to the same conclusion, there was no end to this story. All of her efforts were wasted every single time she fought. Her knowledge and intelligence were no use against fate. If this were a normal person, they would've long since given up. Every time she failed, she no longer cried for her tears had long since dried up. Every time she failed, she still felt the stinging grief of losing her friend. Every time she failed…. It reminded her that it was impossible… yet she still moved on and fought.

A never ending story with the same conclusion, no matter what route she took, it was always the same. Her memories were now filled with the images of her dead friend. These memories served as reminders of her failures. But instead of being disheartened, she grasped on them as a reason to move. It hurt, it hurt so much… the feeling of hopelessness. Despair was just around the corner, watching her progress before ending the story just before she could finish it.

A hopeless battle.

She wondered if the people in the real world were looking for her and Compa. She wondered if they even cared. She's already been doing this for the longest time so she stopped caring about those thoughts. Her mindset has completely been focused on 'first things first' which is to save her friend and forget about this whole thing.

But was such thing even possible? She realized as she fought this cycle, that she was up against something beyond the Goddesses' powers. That person could bend reality to his will and triumph over the best of her plans with ease. The sense of wrongness about him, she has gotten accustomed to it. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. All she had to focus on was Compa. He treated this as a game while IF had to wake up within every cycle knowing it was all real.

She hated it. She hated that feeling. Yet hate was something that will never help her. It was no use against him. Her hate could wait when she beat him, but now she had to keep her cool…. Even though it seemed nigh impossible. Now that she noticed it, she never had the need to eat or sleep. Not like they were important anyway. She broken and the only thing that kept her from crumbling completely was her resolve. The resolve she had made on her fourth try.

Over and over again she watched her friend die, yet her mind refused to get used to it. No matter how hard she tried, every single Compa that she met, she treated as though she was the real thing. Even if she knew that they were nothing more than copies. How many of them had died? Probably a thousand. Then that would mean that she had grieved for a thousand clones.

Neptune and the others didn't exist in this Illusory world. A world specifically built on breaking IF's mind. In one route, she didn't find them at the Basilicom and contact via cellphone was useless. The people around them were nothing more than real life NPCs, uncaring and ignorant to the Guild member's pleas for help while trying to save the Compa of that scenario.

She was tired. Tired of it all.

The laughing never stopped since it was present every time she failed. Maybe it was the heat getting to her, but she was probably way over her head. All of her plans, methods, and skills put to the fray and all of them were useless. She didn't know if she'll be able to hold out much longer. At this rate, she'll have to embrace despair since her mind was already flirting with insanity. As time went on, her plans became more and more clumsy until they all winded up as failures. She long since gave up on them and went back to her basic methods. Those were failures too if you haven't guessed.

Guess the only way out would be doing something stupid. Conventional plans never worked, so that bastard was probably goading her to do just that. Maybe she _has _been doing this for far too long. She wanted a break. To finally rest. Maybe she was just doing things the wrong way, that must be the reason why her plans didn't work. A fruitless effort on her part.

Here she was again, running, and running. It was the same cave she was in when she made her wish. She had long discovered that the cycle repeated itself back to this place within every four failed scenarios. Nevertheless, no matter what she did, Compa always winded up dead here….

Smiling to herself, she thought, _Hehehe, no matter what I did, she always winded up dead…. Here it was… the ground was shaking...the ceiling's collapsing… That bastard monster's just behind us… Kinda feels like a déjà vu. Well, it is… One big one anyway… Why am I running in the first place?_

Looking up ahead, she saw how the exit was sealed off by a boulder. Beside her was her partner, running despite her dislike for it. She's going to get crushed at this rate… But then an idea sprung into the Guild member's shattered mind.

_This is gonna hurt… Sorry Compa._

"I-I-Iffy!?" whimpered the nurse as IF hand's made a grab for her arm and kicked her. She sat there, watching as everything went into slow motion. The brunette had a smile on her face as everything suddenly became clear. The stones hurt as the hit her shoulders; they pulled her down once they made contact. Yet despite that she kept her smile since she could see him. Oh yes…

He stood there, watching behind Compa's back. She could see how his fists trembled in anger, this only made IF smile grow wider. Just before she could hit the ground though, she raised her free arm and flipped him off as a final act of defiance. She could hear his irritated voice from all across the tunnel.

"Well played…" he growled.

"Fuck you…" replied IF as heavy stones covered her body. That was the answer… the puzzle was solved.

This time, it was her voice which was laughing.

* * *

IF opened her eyes to a white void. The ground in which she lied upon had a smooth surface with the color of snow. She felt at peace in contrast to the sick feeling she always carried within her. At that thought, she suddenly sat up clutching her head. Was it over? She didn't understand it at all. Just where did that bastard take her now?

Looking around, there was nothing but an endless void and a deafening silence. She had done it, she saved Compa at the cost of her own life. Was this the answer to that masked man's riddle? She felt tired, yet her body was relaxed. The mental strains of having to go on that loop had long since wore on the Guild member's mind. Not thinking of ways to save her best friend's life for once was… a nice change. No, she can't let her guard down yet. This could be some trick.

She stood up with cautious look on her face, her mind alert for any abnormalities she may encounter. This wasn't like any dungeon she had gone in. The world just felt… empty. Was this what the afterlife looked like? It felt so lonely… This wasn't like the nothingness she imagined. Would she stay here for all eternity after she just suffered from her previous one?

The Guild member turned her head to her left as she heard some noise… An applause. She wasn't surprised to see a man with a rabbit mask covering his entire head while wearing black formal clothes. He went on clapping and only stopped as he was about ten feet away from the girl.

Giving her a respectful bow, he then said, "Congratulations, IF. You have successfully reached a higher plane of existence, farther than what your puny little Goddesses could reach. Ain't that dandy?"

"Higher… plane?" repeated the brunette, her voice laced with cold fury.

Rising up from his bow, Rabbit Head then promptly crossed his arms, "Well, yes. Also known as Heaven by the people of Earth or maybe even Nirvana. A world beyond a mortal mind's ability to comprehend. The home of beings like me and now you."

"Me?" breathed the girl as her fists began to treble in rage, "What do you mean, me?"

"Well since you have a better understanding of how the universe works through that time loop, let's just say that was your ticket to this place," explained the masked man in an amused tone.

"SO YOU'RE SAYING I CAN'T GO BACK?!" roared IF, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and pulling him down to her height, "YOU MEAN I'M STUCK HERE WITH YOU?! WATCHING COMPA DIE A MILLION TIMES IS WAY BETTER THAN BEING STUCK IN A HELL HOLE WITH A BASTARD LIKE YOU!"

"Wishes are fickle thing you know?" chuckled Rabbit Head, "Nothing is for free. Everything has a price. You're a smart girl aren't you? You should've realized it during that time. I asked you three times if you were sure and you gave me the same reply. I thought you knew what you were getting yourself into… In a world of Goddesses and monsters, there will always be a devil that'll whisper in your ear."

Gritting her teeth, the Guild member pushed him away, "Why are you doing this?! WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU?! TELL ME!"

"My, my… no need to shout. Girls these days, they're becoming less and less cute," commented the masked man while brushing his tail coat, "Why am doing this, you ask? It's supposed to be a really deep secret… And of course this doesn't have anything to do with you… You wanna know? Fine…."

The girl tensed as she realized that the person in front of her had disappeared. She felt a cold chill run down her spine as a voice whispered on her ear, "It's because I can…"

"What…?" IF turned around and found out that no one was there. A tap from a distance from her earned her attention in which she found the masked man leaning on a jet black cane.

"Plots, schemes and plans were never my forte," he admitted in a bored tone, "They take time, effort and execution. I mean, why should I work hard for something that's supposed to amuse me? Working is never amusing, it's boring. Besides, sometimes the simplest methods are the best. You just take X and toss them into event Y and see what happens. Isn't that the basic formula for entertainment? What's with that look, IF? Did you really expect me to do something so complicated that it'll be worth the Witches mind games? Or maybe the curse god's plague? Or the one peeking behind the stars? Forgive me but I am not like them…"

"I was just entertainment..? All of those times? My suffering all for nothing?" the Guild member faltered after that. She was nothing more than this being's plaything back then.

"Indeed…" confirmed the masked man, "You see, I saw this movie once. And I must say, it was very boring. So I wanted to spice it up, add a bit of story and build up. Emulating it was fun thanks to you. I must say, inspiration rarely comes by so I just HAD to do this. What better story should there be than having Gamindustri's greatest Guild member as its actress? Consider yourself lucky, girl…. You just earned your happy ending…"

_**SMACK**_

A dull thud sounded as the rabbit mask rolled on the floor. There was another smacking sound as the Guild member swung her fist once more and struck Rabbit Head's face once more, causing him to stagger. Breathing hard, the brunette got into a stance as she prepared herself to continue her assault. Without his mask on, Rabbit Head looked just like a normal human boy. Black hair, brown eyes and a mole on his right cheek. Yet the aura of wrongness surrounding him as well as the cruel smile he had on his lips betrayed that.

The best description of him was a monster wearing a human's skin.

"If you think I'll just stand here…. And let you do as you please then you're wrong…" growled IF with a look of cold fury, "Something like you shouldn't exist and should be purged. Not even the Nether will accept you."

"That's what they all say…" replied Rabbit Head that smile on his face remained unwavering, "Out of all of the people that I've toyed with in your world, you've proven yourself as the best specimen. You've endured the greatest hardship I've thrown at you and provided me with the greatest performance. For that… I commend you."

"Screw you," snarled the Guild member as she launched a fist towards the young man's face. Hand was quickly intercepted by Rabbit head's own, this didn't stop her from spitting on his face, "Leave and never come back…"

Wiping his face with a handkerchief, the being could only reply, "Very well… Know this though… Do not think that you've won anything, girl… Either way, I have accomplished what I came for and was entertained. And I managed to get a scope of what I'm up against. Your world would make the perfect battle field for me and _him. _Your world has piqued my interest; it's only a matter of time before _he_ comes to stop me."

"I don't give a shit about what you're talking about, I'm going to kill you," snapped the girl as she revealed her blades.

"A mortal can't kill me, especially not a broken one like you," said Rabbit Head with confidence, "This is goodbye…"

Once again, the only thing the Guild member had slashed was nothing more than a thick cloud of black smoke. It moved away from her reach and materialized back into a human's form. IF wasn't about to let him get away and quickly dash after him. Only to have herself blown away by his power.

"I'll get myself a better toy…"

_I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET AWAY, YOU BASTARD!_

She got up again and ran after him. She ran and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran with all her might yet it seemed that the distance between them was never reduced. He was too far away, the girl couldn't reach him. He just stood there, smiling at her futile efforts. The floor eventually turned into liquid, in which she fell into. In the end she didn't understand it. Just what were his goals. Whatever it was, she just wished she would never meet him again. That would be the last time that she'll make a wish….

The laughter was gone and was replaced with a faint song…

* * *

"Iffy! Iffy wake up!" cried a familiar voice. Compa?

"Goodness, I hope she's okay. She doesn't look like she's having a nice dream," said another voice. This one was Nepgear's.

"IF? Are you awake? If you are, then please open your eyes," requested a motherly voice. Histoire…

The Guild member opened her brilliant green eyes and saw everyone she cared for staring down at her with concern. Relief surged through her tired mind and body; she couldn't help herself to smile. Rising up from the bed she was on, she immediately rubbed the headache out of her head. It seemed like everyone had gone silent.

To lessen their worry, she turned to them and flashed them a grin, "Hey… I'm back…"

She was surprised when the nurse suddenly wrapped her in an embrace and began to sob. She was back in the real world… the nightmare was over. And yet why did she feel empty? She should be happy, right? She was back with the people she cared for… But… Why did everything look gray.

"It's okay Iffy," whispered Compa, "It's okay…"

"What are you talking about..?" asked IF with a small smile and pleasant tone, "I'm fine…"

While her friend hugged her, the Guild member's eyes turned towards the window. The sky was so blue and beautiful.

"Um, Compa?" muttered the brunette in an emotionless manner, "Could you... leave me alone for a bit...?"

The nurse was surprised by this and immediately let her friend go, "W-What are you talking about, Iffy? Are you sure you're okay?"

"I think it's best if we let IF rest for the day. She only woke up after all," said Histoire as she gave the Guild Member a sad gaze, "Please don't push yourself too hard and rest up. We're very happy that you're okay."

"Please take care of yourself ,IF," added Nepgear with a sad smile, "If you need anything, we'll come as soon as possible."

"Thanks," replied IF as she glanced down on her snow white sheets. A hand placed itself on top of her own, its warmth enveloping her skin. She turned her gaze to its owner and looked at her in the eye, "I'll be alright, Compa. You should... rest up too... You look tired..."

Compa's lips trembled for a moment just before she released a sigh. She gripped her friend's hand for moment as she stood up, "Don't exert yourself... I'll be outside, okay?"

The brunette nodded as she watched her leave with the others. The nurse was about to close the door when she decided to have a look at her friend one last time. She gave her a smile before waving her hand goodbye.

As the door clicked shut, IF glanced down at her hands and then at the window. It reflected her face, her own green eyes staring back at her. She blinked once and found crimson irises gazing back at her.

Her lips forming into a smirk, two words came out of her mouth, "Not good."

* * *

It took twelve months for IF to revert back into her normal self. During those months she rarely spoke to anyone and remained on her bed at all times. Compa sat beside her and aided her with anything she needed. She was distant in those twelve months. Everyone she knew, friends, loved ones, acquaintances all tried to cheer her up. Yet the best they could achieve was an empty smile.

Something broke her during that day. Based on the nurse's report, the two of them were hunting for monsters when the brunette suddenly collapsed. She slept for a good three days before finally awakening. When questioned on to what happened to her, she would break down until she went back into an empty shell. From what the nurse could gather, she could guess that her friend was traumatized by… something. The reason for her collapse were unknown until this day.

She never left her best friend's side until the day IF finally returned to normal.

Just after they thought that everything was over…. The Goddesses began disappearing, starting with Neptune.

_**To be continued in: A Console Life…?**_

* * *

_Rabbit Notes:_

_Hello one and all. Did you all enjoy my performance? No? Well, to each their own. You may be all surprised that this came out of nowhere and such, but I must say, should I refuse to release this story then I would never progress in that other story that's full of sunshines and daises. _

_Note that I bear no grudge against lovely Compa nor the beautiful IF. However my sadistic tendencies have been aimed at them (I'm looking at you Nisa, consider yourself lucky) due to their... potential. Yes that's the word._

_Though I worry that in this story, I may have gone too far. No one likes too much angst and as you saw, I did everything to keep IF from doing just that. Alas the bug in the system enjoys to challenge me from time to time. So I apologize for any inconsistencies. I was probably having too much fun toying with IF's sanity to notice my mistakes. _

_Rest assured that I checked it all before posting. Now I'm counting on all of you to get them for me. should problems arise, you may tell me through PM or reviews. preferably reviews. _

_Why i decided to write this abominable story you ask? Well, as I said I saw a movie, PV, to be exact. Emulating it was indeed fun. Hope you sunny boys and girls could catch the references. _

_Don't worry, IF will get better. I know how you lot are so I settled in for an ambiguous ending. If you ignore the last entry of this story, it may as well make a good standalone. I will never, ever, ever, ever drive them to insanity... Unless I have a very good reason to. _

_Originally, the plan was to have Lyrica join in with the madness too but before I knew it, the story had taken a life of its own..._

_Well? Avatars are hard to maintain so expect that to be my last (chuckles) intervention._

_I'll see you all next time..._

_Yahoo~_

_Nicolas Notes: That was not me... Honest... That was somebody else... How the hell did he hijack the AN room is beyond me._


End file.
